Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

This is a warship, and there are many soldiers on board. Although the ship is very large, the accommodation conditions are much worse than on the small island, with two people sharing a room.

In this world, there are still rules distinguishing between men and women. As one of only three girls on board, Ruo Manni naturally couldn’t break up the cousins, so she happily had her own independent space.

What pleased her even more was that communication with the outside world was still restricted. The Sky Network could only be used for queries, but she could still access the Battle Network.

However, even though they were in a new place, the morning running routine was unavoidable. Previously, they ran along the island; now, it was on the top deck, following the specially designated track on the warship.

This time, the track wasn’t just occupied by their group of ten; many soldiers were also lined up and running, a large group of impressive and handsome men who were quite a sight.

The soldiers maintained a neat formation, running with great vigor, while the military academy freshmen began to fall apart as they ran, their inexperience obvious. Only the self-aware freshmen dared not look at Instructor Dudley.

Ruo Manni observed that these soldiers were relatively young, and their cultivation levels were not high; most of the soldiers were level four warriors, with only the officers being level five warriors.

Looking at them, Ruo Manni began to understand why Lieutenant Lin’s position and power skyrocketed after he advanced from a level five warrior to a level six warrior.

It’s worth noting that the soldiers on Topaz Star could not compare to those from the Imperial Capital Star, and with Lieutenant Lin’s cultivation, he should be among the top in the Topaz Star military.

Don’t be fooled by the soldiers’ cultivation levels being similar to the new students; their overall strength was on an entirely different level.

When they first arrived, the soldiers were already running, and by the time the students were gasping for breath and their formation fell apart, the soldiers remained in perfect sync, their ranks unbroken.

Ruo Manni and Mina-Olli, being the two girls, were undoubtedly the main culprits for the team’s disarray. Their teammates had grown accustomed to their lagging behind and had already dashed to the other half of the track, leaving them far behind.

As Ruo Manni and Mina-Olli ran, soldiers in formation continually overtook them, each group of soldiers casting sideways glances at the two girls.

Because Ruo Manni was a level four beginner warrior, soldiers who didn’t know the situation assumed she was just a pure martial artist, so she bore the brunt of their scrutiny, which seemed to convey that while she was beautiful, she was also quite inexperienced.

In contrast, Mina-Olli, with her lower warrior level, led soldiers to guess her identity as a Psychic, resulting in fewer curious glances directed at her, and none suggesting she was lacking.

Mina-Olli felt a bit embarrassed, but Ruo Manni remained unfazed.

After all, she was a Psychic! Why compare her weaknesses to someone else’s strengths? She knew she was great, and if they realized she was a Psychic, their looks would surely change to, “Wow! You’re amazing!”

Fortunately, perhaps due to upcoming activities, Instructor Dudley didn’t intend to exhaust them completely. After they were thoroughly worn out, he gathered them together.

Instructor Dudley didn’t say anything, simply checking his holographic device.

At that moment, a flying car suddenly zoomed in from the distance, with soldiers on the deck waving green flags. Ruo Manni didn’t understand the meaning of their gestures but assumed it signaled the car to stop there.

The flying car quickly approached, and Dean Atchison let out a small squeal, with Su Forty-Three echoing a little “wow.”

Noticing that Instructor Dudley seemed distracted and uninterested in them, Ruo Manni turned to Dean Atchison, confused: “What’s all the fuss about? Stay calm.”

Over the past month, Dean Atchison had helped her out, and they had grown closer, often teasing each other for fun, so Ruo Manni fell back into her usual teasing.

“That flying car, that flying car is the latest model of the ××× flying car!” Dean Atchison’s eyes lit up, gazing at it as if he were looking at his beloved.

“Oh!” Ruo Manni replied disinterestedly, “Poor people don’t understand this. A flying car just needs to fly; what’s the big difference?”

Dean Atchison felt a bit deflated by her response, looking at her with a hint of exasperation: “I’ve never met a poor person so confidently dismissive and with such a novel tone.”

“Her poverty is just an excuse when she’s not interested,” Mina-Olli suddenly chimed in.

“She wants to use her supposed poverty as a reason to slack off and avoid trouble,” Hua Deli added, following his fiancée’s lead.

“Exactly! Who goes around claiming they’re poor? Even if I’ve never met a poor person, I know they wouldn’t act like you,” Sheila said with a hint of sarcasm.

Although Sheila’s family was considered a middle-class family, many knew that her family was a subsidiary of the Olli family.

Sheila, as a noble young lady from a prestigious family, had a particularly commanding presence and often enjoyed flaunting her status. At first, she frequently used sarcastic remarks to belittle Ruo Manni, calling her a country bumpkin and a poor wretch.

Little did Sheila know that Ruo Manni was a special kind of country bumpkin; she not only had thick skin but also a sharp tongue. Sheila often found herself at a loss for words when Ruo Manni fought back. Unable to outmatch her in wit, Sheila gradually fell silent, though she sometimes couldn’t resist a snide comment.

Ruo Manni held back, considering the many handsome soldiers around them. Suddenly, she remembered Sheila’s ladylike image. Well! Since she was new to this place, she decided to give Sheila some face today. If Sheila was rude again tomorrow, she would retaliate then.

“You think I’ve never seen poor people?” even the usually quiet Gao Haitao couldn’t help but chime in.

“That makes it sound like you think your poverty gives you the right to act superior. What do you think you can do?” Dean Atchison summarized.

Surrounded by her friends, Ruo Manni was a bit taken aback, staring at them in disbelief. She usually didn’t talk much; how did they understand her so well? Would they still be able to have fun together in the future?

“Real poor kids can’t even afford the regular training fees and wouldn’t have the strength to get into the Xuan Gu First Military Academy,” a strange young voice impatiently interrupted.

The new students suddenly realized they had been so focused on roasting Ruo Manni that they had forgotten their earlier amazement at the new flying car and hadn’t even noticed when it had landed on the deck or when the person inside had walked over to them.

When Ruo Manni turned around, she met a pair of deep blue eyes. Under the sunlight, the boy’s slightly long golden hair gleamed, tousled by the sea breeze, exuding a sense of pride mixed with a rebellious spirit.

“I’ve met His Highness the Second Prince,” Sheila reacted the quickest, stepping forward to perform an exaggerated curtsy, completely forgetting that she was in a plain black training outfit that didn’t match at all.

Her voice snapped Ruo Manni back to reality; she suddenly realized that her mind had gone completely blank just moments before, almost as if she hadn’t been thinking at all.

“Cousin Hebrew!” Hua Deli also stepped forward, greeting the Second Prince with a casual expression that conveyed intimacy.

Hua Deli’s mother and the current queen were distant cousins from the Amber family, so while their relationship was somewhat removed, familial ties were the closest in this era, making them cousins in a sense.